AirTran Airways Orlando-Branson flights from December 19, 2009

AirTran Airways, the budget airline based in Orlando, Florida, the United States, is launching non-stop flights between Orlando International Airport in Florida and Branson Airport in Missouri from December 19, 2009.

AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, had, in December 2008 become the first national airline to offer flights out of Branson Airport. (Branson Airport is the first commercial airport in the United States that is privately financed and operated.)

AirTran Airways Flight 1589 will take off from Branson Airport at 3.20 p.m. and land in Orlando International Airport at 6.40 p.m. on Saturdays. In the return direction, Flight 1588 will leave Orlando International Airport at 1.10 p.m. and reach Branson Airport at 2.45 p.m. on Saturdays.

Kevin Healy, senior vice-president (marketing and planning) of AirTran Airways, said in a statement that the company is “excited to link two of the most popular entertainment destinations in the United States in its network.”

According to Jeff Bourk, executive director of Branson Airport, the addition of the low-fare, direct service between Branson and Orlando will make it easy and convenient for the people in western Missouri and northern Arkansas to travel to the “exciting holiday destination of Orlando” in the winter months.

The new service to Orlando is the third addition in September 2009 to Branson Airport. Earlier, ExpressJet Airlines had launched holiday services from Branson Airport to Shreveport in Louisiana and to Rockford in Illinois.

Also, the Branson-Orlando flight raises the number of AirTran Airways’ services from Branson Airport to 2. Earlier, AirTran Airways had operated services to Atlanta in Georgia and Milwaukee in Wisconsin, but stopped the flights to Milwaukee in July 2009 as a part of the reduction the number of flights across the company.

At present, Sun Country Airlines, the low-cost carrier based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, flies from Branson Airport to Minneapolis and Dallas.

AirTran Airways, which has its main hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, is a Fortune 1000 company. The airline has, for the last 2 years, stood at the number one position among low-fare carriers in the Airline Quality Rating study.

According to the company, AirTran Airways is the only major airline with Wi-Fi facility on all it s flights and it offers coast-to-coast service using its fleet of new Boeing planes. AirTran Airways’ offerings also include the business-class, assigned seating, as well as complimentary XM Satellite Radio on all its flights.

Flights on AirTran Airways can be booked on its website www.airtran.com